Cop’s bar brawl: HC demands status update

Taking stern note of the scene created in a liquor bar by a police inspector attached to Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police, the Bombay high court has sought to know the status of inquiry initiated by the commissioner of police (CP) into the incident.

Taking stern note of the scene created in a liquor bar by a police inspector attached to Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police, the Bombay high court has sought to know the status of inquiry initiated by the commissioner of police (CP) into the incident.

"The allegations made about the behaviour of Dilip Sawant are serious in nature," the division bench of justice BH Marlapalle and justice UD Salvi noted on July 12, while hearing a petition wherein one Anand Shyam Narayan Singh sought registration of an FIR against Sawant, and a direction to the police to take action in accordance with law.

The incident took place at midnight on June 16 in Natraj Bar at Ghatkopar where police inspector Sawant was badly injured in a fight with Singh, and two of his friends, Narendra Dubey and Harish Karwa.

Singh has had some brief encounters with Sawant and a few months back, the latter had allegedly threatened to eliminate him in an encounter.

The petition states that on June 16, Sawant was having drinks in the bar along with an accused in a forgery case, Kishor Karanjia. Around midnight, Singh heard a commotion and noticed Sawant having a brawl with Dubey.

When Singh got up, Sawant saw him and started moving towards his revolver kept on a table. Fearing that Sawant may shoot him, Singh rushed and held both his hands and to save himself, gave him a blow. This resulted in a free for all, which lasted a few minutes till Sawant fell flat on the ground, the petition states.

After the incident, somebody informed Singh that Sawant had falsely reported that he had been injured in an accident, as he wanted to take revenge. Singh approached Tilak Nagar police station with his two friends.

The trio wanted to surrender for assaulting a police officer. But, the police refused to register an FIR, which compelled Singh to move the high court.

However, he sought to withdraw the petition on the second hearing, on July 12, but the court rejected his plea. The judges sought to know the progress in the inquiry, after assistant public prosecutor PP Shinde informed the judges that the CP himself had initiated an inquiry into the incident.